REAL ART WEST: Art a la mode by Alexandra Rosa

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RAW April 2008

Watch for 24th Annual Art Walk on Sat/Sun April 26/27from noon to 6 pm in Little Italy and don‘t forget to stop by the Art Rocks! Radio booth at Art Walk, You can enter to win a “Rock Star Swapping Swag” package, your chance to show off your talents on Art Rocks! Radio with your very own 11 minutes of fame, and a “Celebrity Swag Bag” with goodies any rock star would crave!

But the evening before on Fri. April 25 there is a reception for the Art of Photography Show from 6 to 9 pm. The exhibition continues until May 23 at the lovely Lyceum Theatre Gallery. The show was juried by Carol McCusker, curator of Photography at MoPA. One hundred and two works were chosen from 46 countries from 12,000 entries. Nine of those on display are from SD we are happy to report. For more info: Steven Churchill 858.793.0900

We hope you will all attend the SD Art Prize : Dangerous Women: Eleanor Antin with emerging artist Pamela Jaeger, Opening Reception: Sat. May 17, 7 pm to 9 pm, R3 Gallery 2421 India Street San Diego, 92101. We are so pleased to see that the honorary chairpersons for this exhibition are Cap and Julie Pinney. Please also note that Eleanor Antin: Historical Takes will be on display at the San Diego Museum of Art from July 19–November 2, 2008. Another tidbit is that Pamela Jaeger has been chosen by Robert Pincus to portray him in the upcoming Movers and Shakers: Who's Who in SD Visual Arts at the Patrick Moore Gallery.

Here are some of the featured guests coming up at Art Rocks! Radio:  Tony Ponter, Curator representing the Shona Art Collection from Africa; Dr. Michael Wall, Curator of Entomology at San Diego Natural History Museum, (talking the BioBlitz at Balboa Park on May 2 and 3 rd ); our special feature Art Rocks! Bites with a review of Po Pazzo’s Restaurant (the owner and chef will be calling in from the restaurant); Jesse Nash, New Yorker City Photographer; noted Director Rick Bieber (he has many local Los Angeles/Southern California tie-ins as former President of HBO for many years and producer of such films as Flatliners, Made In America and Radio Flyer and his film CRAZY was accepted into the Newport Beach Film Festival); Kristi Steffen, Co-Owner of Station Boutique in Little Italy; Jon Block, Founder of SIGHT & SOUND: ARTS & Entertainment, Style Maven; Laura Gambucci of Laura Gambucci Boutique; Abstract Artist, Madeline Sherry; Photographer, Will Gibson, of the PhotoArts Group 'Star for a Night' Project; Steve Dietz, Creative Director of 01SJ Global Festival of Art on the Edge; Lux Art Institute’s Curator, Ms. Reesey Shaw; Facial Sculptor Kim Knox, Owner of Radiance Salon; Leonard Simpson, KUSI’s Style Guy and noted fashion designer; and Jordanna Petkun, CEO of Emerge Art Center.

The Performance Slam at California Center for the Arts in support of the Innocence was Questionable exhibition of the 6 recipients of the 2006/2007 SD Art Prize was a stunning evening of stellar talent. We are so pleased with the result and proud of this collaborative and united effort. Art criticism - Kevin Freitas, Art as Authority got the audience in the mood with his warm up like a pro on David Letterman and there was a subtext which was positive and empowering. I plan to always do what “Kevin Says” from now on.   Poetry - Jaysen Waller's poem was so touching and so beautifully presented. Instrumental - Zuriel Waters made that saxophone talk and I heard joy and anguish and every tone in between.  Dance - Sara Plaisted, Urban Tribal intrigued us with her combination of old moves and new sounds and I saw my husband panting. Theater - Marilyn Klisser and Aura Thielen, Emerge Art Center spoke to their own generation in their own language and that was fresh and contemporary. I can not imagine Satire - Ed Decker ever being funnier at a comedy club and the crowd was on his side the whole way. Performance art - Ted Washington, Pruitt Igoe was such an unstoppable force and he carried us all along in his wake. Mercedes Casey thought of every need before it became a problem and is highly recommended as a stage manager. Meg Eppel was a brilliant interpreter for the Museum needs. Laura Lee Juliana’s graphics talent is awesome and we appreciated her professionalism at every stage of the project's development. Of course, Joan Seifried was so inspiring about this event from the very beginning and brought the committee together. EDWARD DECKER was the winner of the popular vote and took home a $100 cash award.

ARTISTS

Ian Quesnell is exhibiting at the CECUT in Tijuana from April 25 with a show called Ephemeral. Ian is one of our first season SD Visual Art Prize recipients and you can also see her work until May 31 at CCAE.

Allison Wiese (SD Art Prize 2007/2008), Nina Weisman and Brian Dick (SD Art Prize New Contemporaries) are all included in the “Inside the Wave” Exhibition at the SDMA.

Irene de Wattville is showing her generosity again by donating a kiln and supplies to start at tile mural for King/Chavez School (a charter school). The principal wants this to be a community project and we shall look forward to seeing the results of the project in the Barrio Logan district of SD.

Tania Alcala, Dan Camp, Joseph Bennett, Nilly Gill, Marianne Saltiel and Shayna Yates are six local SD artists that will be showing at the Noel-Baza Fine Art Gallery on 2165 India Street, 92101 in little Italy during the ArtWalk on April 26/27 from noon to 6 both days. They will also extend “Mundos Intimos/Intimate Worlds,” miniature paintings by Marianela de la Hoz through April 30 th. Tom Noel has worked with his colleague Pierrette Van Cleve (Art Exchange) for 21 year and his partner Larry Baza was on the County's Public Art Advisory Council, a former E D of the Centro Cultural de la Raza and the past Assoc. Director of Sushi. More info: Tom Noel 619.876.4160       

OPPORTUNTIES

If you are looking for a wonderful Mother’s Day present what about Affirmation Dolls: a workshop for mothers/daughters/sisters & friends on Sat, May 10, 9 AM - 5 PM at Art Retreats at The California Center for Creative Renewal. The process of creating affirmation dolls is handed down from African American slave mothers, who practiced this tradition with their daughters as a way to preserve a sense of dignity, hope and survival of spirit. No previous art experience necessary. The cost for 2 is $150 includes a gourmet breakfast and all the art materials. For more info: Ellen Speert 760.436.3310  

Applications for the Spring Art Festival at Spanish Village Art Center are being accepted now. The event is Sat/Sun May 17 and 18, 2008. Located in beautiful Balboa Park, Spanish Village Art Center’s colorful flagstone patio, which is a wonderful place for an outdoor art fair.

The Port of San Diego is seeking artist-led design teams to create environmentally-friendly lighting proposals for the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. The intent of this project is to create a distinctive signature artwork that will enliven the public environment. The artistic design should create a sense of place, draw people to the region, and withstand the test of time. The Port of San Diego is committed to promoting sustainable development; therefore, the proposed lighting must utilize "green" technology. For a full project description, including submission requirements, please download the Call for Artists at http://www.portofsandiego.org/sandiego_publicart/paopportunities.asp Submissions must be received by the Port's Public Art Department by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 6, 2008.

SDSU is looking for an associate director for its new downtown gallery. We believe this is the Electra Building (Broadway & Kettner). The space was funded by Nat Bosa for $2.5 million and this will be a 2,800 sq. ft. space expected to open late spring early summer 2008. The lucky applicant will work with Tina Yapelli. The search is well underway so apply soon: Associate Gallery Director Search Committee, School of Art, Design and Art History, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego CA 92182-4805

ARTS: A Reason To Survive is again holding its annual fundraising Gala dinner and auction to raise money for programs. This year’s “ARTSea Café” will be held on Saturday May 17 th at Scripps Institution of Oceanography.  They are looking for artists to contribute works of art. They will consider a percentage to the artists who contribute and we applaud them for that. They provide FREE visual, performing, and literary arts programs to children facing life challenges in San Diego, about 4,000 children annually.  They accomplish this by sending artists into hospitals, homeless shelters, domestic violence shelters, etc. on a weekly basis. They also opened the Pat D’Arrigo ARTS Center, a 7,000 sq ft. facility with a painting studio, ceramics studio, printmaking studio, media arts lab, music room, performance space, and art gallery to provide regular art programs for the kids at 2820 Roosevelt Road, Ste 106, the NTC complex. For more info: Jenna Mohler 619.297.2787 ext 2002

The International Digital Art & Digital Photography Exhibition will take place Saturday, June 14 through Sunday, July 6 at the San Diego County Fair. Stephen Burns is in charge again this year as the coordinator. He is looking for aPhoto Exhibits Team Member with a flexible working day and photo experience. Apply online at http://63.134.205.142/ns/employment/Listjobs.asp


MUSEUMS and GALLERIES 

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) presents Marcos Ramírez ERRE ,(SD Art Prize, 2007/2008) Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, China as one of eight artists (Mark Dion, Ann Hamilton, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, Rigo 23, Dario Robleto, Diana Thater and Xu Bing) creating response to their travels to threatened sites. ERRE visited this mountainous region in May 2005. A conceptual artist with a background in construction, ERRE worked with local residents to build a wall using traditional, regional building methods and materials on his return trip in 2007. Into this wall, he will place video screens that serve as "windows" into the everyday lives of the residents and the landscape in which they live. Human/NatureArtists Respond to a Changing Planet opens August 17, 2008, at the Museum's Joan and Irwin Jacobs Building and 1001 Kettner galleries in downtown San Diego.

Before that Elusive Signs: Bruce Nauman Works with Light opening May 25 to Aug 31 at its La Jolla location. The exhibition focuses on Bruce Nauman's neon sculptures and light-room installations, a provocative body of work in which the artist grapples with questions of how perception is shaped by light and space.

The memorable works of one of America's most well-known artists comes to SDMA running from May 24 through September 28, 2008, Georgia O’Keeffe and the Women of the Stieglitz Circle features more than 80 paintings, drawings, and photographs by iconic artist O’Keeffe and the important female Modernists who paved the way for her.

Inside the Wave: Six San Diego/Tijuana Artists Construct Social Art continues until June 22 at the San Deigo Museum of Art and features six artists from the San Diego/Tijuana region working within alternative cultures to produce thought-provoking works that engage issues of everyday life and materialism. The artists—bulbo, Brian Dick (SD Art Prize New Contemporaries), Adriene Jenik, particle group, Zlatan Vukosavljevic, and Allison Weise (SD Art Prize 2007/2008)—produce a social form of art where interaction with the art object, either by the artist or the viewer, is an individual experience with the fragility of the present. Their works include sculptures made of found industrial objects, photographs, documentary videos, and interactive digital media. Nina Weisman (SD Art Prize New Contemporaries) is part of the particles group. All these artists spoke on the panel at SDMA and you can read more about that on the SDVAN A+Art Blog this month.

Did you see the San Diego Museum of Art and Derrick Cartwright on 60 Minutes on Sunday April 20
The piece featured renowned art forensics scientist Maurizio Seracini. Seracini has recently partnered with SDMA to examine masterworks in the Museum's collection using cutting-edge technology and multi-spectrum imaging techniques. His work has yielded exciting results that shed light on preservation and conservation techniques.

Until May 25, the Cannon Art Gallery in Carlsbad will feature On Flowers with contemporary works by 11 artists including Manny Farber. Karen McGuire has curated this show and the Kenneth Capps: Metered exhibition that follows from June 15 to Aug 17.

Shona: Spirits in Stone—Art and Animals from Africa , an exhibition featuring sculpture of internationally acclaimed Zimbabwean Shona stone sculptors, as well as masks, jewelry, and baskets, will open at the San Diego Natural History Museum on July 11 and will remain at the Museum through October 12.

The San Diego Art Institute has made a partnership with the Japanese Friendship Garden, both in Balboa Park. This was launched on April 11 from 6 to 8 with opening remarks by Victoria Hamilton, executive director of the SD Commission for Arts and Culture. This is part of the diversity initiative and will be held at the San Diego Art Department on Ray Street. For more info call 619.299.4278

Opening on June 8 at the Mingei in Balboa Park Forms In Wood And Fiber features the work of six distinguished San Diego wood artists and California Fibers with Professor Wendy Maruyama, Program Head of the Woodworking and Furniture Design Program at SDSU; Russ Filbeck, at Palomar College; Patrick Edwards; Del Cover; Brett Hesser; and Dr. Gene Blickenstaff, an exemplary group of artist craftsmen from Los Angeles, Orange and San Diego counties. Also showing with group participation is California Fibers which was founded in 1970 in San Diego with the purpose of providing professional advancement for contemporary fiber artists. Their creative expression includes weaving, basketry, sculpture, surface design, wearables and mixed media including Charlotte Bird, Carrie Ann Burckle, Marilyn McKenzie Chaffee, Doshi, Jacy Diggins, Christie L. Dunning, Gail Fraser, Polly Jacobs Giacchina, Susan Hart Henegar, Carol E. Lang, Carol Mckie Manning, Ellen Phillips, Michael Rohde, Valentyna Roenko Simpson, Cameron Taylor-Brown, David Weidig and Peggy Wiedemann. For more info Martha Ehringer 619.239.0003

A final sad farewell to Dr. Carmen Velazquez Cruz (owner) and Albert Zaloga (manager) of Expressions of Mexico who are closing their doors on April 26-27, with extended hours from 7 am to 6 pm and an evening celebration from 6 pm. All art will be at incredibly reduced prices, and all furniture, sculpture, and lighting will be for sale as well. Though the situation is unfortunate, there is no need not to celebrate a legacy for Barrio Logan. Carmen will be greatly missed as a true advocate for art in that district! We hope to see her on the scene in other capacities. 1122 Cesar E Chavez Pkwy, SD 92113 - 619.232.1699

MORE TIDBITS

Congratulations to St. Madeleine Sophie Center who won Oprah's Big Give! They raised $10,000 and then voted above 4 other local non-profit to get a matching $10,000 from Oprah’s Big Give TV show.

National Funding update: On February 4, 2008, President Bush submitted his fiscal year 2009 budget to Congress. The budget proposal includes $128.4 million for the NEA, a decrease of $16.3 million from the fiscal year 2008 level.

Fascinating new developments in the digital art field include the designation of a “VE” or variant edition. This means that the artist confirms that the edition is limited to only a certain number, but is free to change the size, printing medium and even printer for the edition as it is produced over time. Prices would of course depend on these choices and on the number in the edition as well which has traditionally been the case. We think this is a brilliant solution to a complicated problem and look forward to seeing the VE next to the signature of future digital prints.Steve Gould sent us this tip which he picked up from J.D. Jarvis and especially Helen Golden. Read the whole article at this link Printing Digital Art: Fine Artists Explore the Promise of New Markets by JD Jarvis.

Celebrating the rich and unique culture of Louisiana, Gator By The Bay, the biggest Zydeco festival on the West Coast, returns to Spanish Landing Park for two spirited days on May 10 and 11. This event will create a rich cultural experience that will ignite your fun-loving best. Alive with zesty Zydeco, Cajun, Blues, jazz, country, and Swing bands; authentic Creole food; dancing and dance lessons; costumed New Orleans-style daily parades; and lots of kids' activities, the festival delivers fun at every turn, with more than 10,000 expected to attend.  

Wii by the Sea is presented by The San Diego Young Professionals Committee in association with Jack in the Box and Go Vavi.  Charity Wii Bowling Competition on Four Flat screen TVs Grand Prize - A new Nintendo Wii, Second & Third Place Prizes, First cocktail hosted by Ketel One Vodka, Complimentary Appetizers and Drink Specials on Sunday, April 27th, 2008, Exclusively at: Prospect Bar, 1025 Prospect Street, La Jolla, CA 92037, 5:30 pm ‘til 8:30 pm, Tickets: $15 (pre-sale online or at the door).

Unscene Publications Release Party Invitations:  On May 8 th we will celebrate YOU at the fabulous Pearl Hotel.  This party is for you, your staff, your friends, the media, hotel concierges, and other fine San Diegans.  Our parties have been a TON of fun over the past few years.  Trust me; you do not want to miss the entertainment at 10:15.  Not a band, not a dj…something very fun and unique.  I love throwing parties and this will likely be the best one yet. 

The Newport Beach Film Festival (April 24 th thru May 1 st) will showcase more than 350 films from around the world, offering an ambitious and international selection of features, shorts, documentaries and animation that will compete for both Jury and Audience awards.  This Festival has grown steadily in prominence, and has reached international acclaim and recognition and I will be there and looking forward to seeing you all.

Finally, mark your calendars now for the September 5 th opening of Movers and Shakers: Who’s Who in SD Visual Arts. You will see approximately 30 portraits of 30 of our best and brightest portrayed by local artists at the Patrick Moore Gallery on Kettner. Philly and I will be there on the wall and in person! SDVAN is the sponsor and curator of this show....you read it here first!

Any tidbit, gossip or news of the immodest kind can go directly to Alexandra Rosa for publication the next Raw. All sources are, of course, kept confidential. Hear Ally and Philly live/archived at ARTROCKS! Internet radio
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